I only own my own character - Tukiko (and Kuro I suppose)
I do not own any other characters, all props go to the good man Tite Kubo. I only own the plot.
Italics – Thoughts in present time or initiating a flashback.
*Italics* - Thoughts during a flashback.
First Impressions.
Tukiko had just passed her graduation exams, gaining full marks in all areas, Tukiko had hoped to join squad nine but to no avail. She was heading through Seireitei to the third division barracks where she would be formally accepted by her new Taichou Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi.
Squad three will be fine, that Kira guy is the Fukutaichou here so you have someone you can talk to! Kuro her companion Hell Butterfly chimed in her head.
I know that Kuro, I'm just disappointed is all...I won't be under Muguruma-Taichou. Her mind's voice was clouded with exasperation.
Hey, you need to cheer up! You can't go into your new squad with a frown ruining your pretty face. Kuro couldn't smile, he was a hell butterfly after all, but their connection was strong enough that Tukiko knew what he was trying to put across.
Fine, since it's you I'll smile. Tukiko smiled pleasantly. Her crimson eyes glowing.
That's my girl. Kuro settled on her right shoulder. Her Shinigami kimono was new and smelled like her, a mix of lotuses, oranges and an indistinguishable scent. Kuro was like an unofficial brother to Tukiko, he admired her spirit and her morals as she admired his sincerity and devotion to her.
We're here. Tukiko communed as she halted in front of the 3rd division barracks. How do I look?
Kuro flew from her shoulder and hovered in front of her. His wings beat slowly as he looked at Tukiko, her short silver hair was straight until it came to her chin, here it flicked out slightly at the edges. Her fringe covered her left eye, a single braid of indigo hair hung delicately against the right side of her neck. The two golden beads and sliver pendant adorned it perfectly. Her ruby eyes were calm pools. Her combat dagger was hidden on a strap bound below her right breast, Kuro could obviously not see this but he knew it was there, and her dual katana fastened on either hip.
Feral yet composed, a brilliant first impression, just don't let your mouth run away with you. Kuro chuckled.
Baka. She commented as she knocked the door, kneeling in front of it as a sign of respect.
"I am Tukiko, the new recruit, reporting for induction!" She projected her voice without shouting.
"Enter!" A familiar voice called from inside.
"Hai!" She answered sharply, pulling open the door. She entered slowly, scanning her surroundings.
"Welcome Tuki-chan!" Kira called from a doorway, "You're awfully early!" His usually solemn face overjoyed with her presence. During her stay at the academy she had attended his many Haiku classes. Seeing as she was one of the only students to attend his classes they began to talk, slowly becoming friends. By the time her graduation exams had come around Kira and her were seeing each other every other day, discussing Haiku and drinking casually.
"Kira-kun!" She called, a wide grin spanning her face, "Good to see you again," She paused, "Fukutaichou." She ended politely.
Kira laughed, "Don't worry about it, there's no one around." He regained a more withdrawn demeanour, "Konnichiwa Kuro-kun." Kira greeted the hell butterfly.
Tell him I say that he looks well, smiling is very becoming of him. Kuro communicated politely.
"Kuro says that you look good! He likes it when you smile...Fukutaichou!" Tukiko had noticed a few squad members congregating around the hallway.
"Arigatou, Kuro-kun, nice seeing you again." He straightened up, "Your induction will begin soon, I have to prepare." He held his hand out.
"Arigatou, Fukutaichou." Tukiko smiled, grasping his hand and shaking it once.
"Later!" Kira called as he walked off towards the captain's quarters.
See, you'll be fine! Kuro assured her.
I hope so... Tukiko sighed, heading towards the main hall. Beginning to feel a twisting of nerves inside of her.
Kira knocked his Taichou's office door.
"Come in." Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi's harmonic voice echoed from the room.
"Hai, Taichou!" Kira called as he opened the large office doors.
"Ah Kira," His Taichou smiled briefly, "You don't have to be so formal with me, you're my Fukutaichou."
"But Taichou? Aren't I supposed to be formal with you?" Kira scratched his head and pulled a face.
"You would think so wouldn't you?" Rōjūrō mused.
"Hai, Tai-" Rōjūrō shot him a wary glance, "Hai, Ōtoribashi-sama!" Kira hurriedly corrected himself.
"Better I suppose," Rōjūrō turned to face out of the window. His golden hair shining in the morning light. "What do you think of the new girl?" Rōjūrō's voice was flat.
"She's lovely, a really nice person, she's good at kido as well!" Kira answered warily, the question was a strange one. "Why is that Tai- Ōtoribashi-sama?"
"No reason, just curious about my new recruit!" Rōjūrō turned, smiling, "Come on Kira-kun! We'll be late and that won't be good now will it?" Rōjūrō ushered Kira out, pushing him towards the courtyard.
Tukiko leant against the wall to the side of the garden's ceremonial platform. Fiddling with her braid, the beads rolling between her fingertips.
You need to calm down. Kuro teased, These persimmon are awesome! He called from a nearby tree.
Shut up! Tukiko snarled mentally. I have a right to be nervous! She took a steadying breath.
Kuro fluttered over to her, resting on the silver pendant of her braid, causing it to jostle. Tukiko smiled at this, Kuro always liked to settle on her braid. Ever since they had met...
Tukiko walked self-consciously into the Shinigami Academy, she had just passed her entrance exams and was allocated a room on the fourth floor. Tukiko's bright red eyes wide with awe. She had somehow stumbled upon the incubation room for future hell butterflies. Thousands of incubators lines the vast room, sections were devoted to different organisations. The Gotei Thirteen had theirs split into the thirteen squads, the detention corps had a whole wall devoted to their purpose and the kido corps had a small section in the corner.
"Well hi there!" A kind voice called from the middle of the room, a young shinigami Fukutaichou was supervising the shinigami on duty.
"H-hi!" Tukiko called out timidly, bowing slightly. She beamed awkwardly, scratching the back of her head.
"Don't be so worried!" The Fukutaichou laughed, "I'm Hinamori, you are a new student judging by your robes?" Hinamori smiled. She understood the anxiety being a first year brought. She had been put under the stress of the special accelerated class after all.
"Yes, I was trying to find my roo-" She was cut off by one of the practising shinigami.
"Fukutaichou! This hell butterfly is far too small, should I terminate it?" His voice was whining and pathetic Tukiko felt.
"Regrettably yes," Hinamori's sigh was audible.
"Don't!" Tukiko had somehow placed herself between the small hell butterfly on the desk and the large shinigami in a split second.
"Move kid," He tried to sound authoritative.
"No." Her eyes flashed slightly, her reiatsu level raising slightly. Tukiko had always believed in protecting those in need, this hell butterfly was no exception.
"Don't try this with me kid!" He released his whole reiatsu, making all the hell butterflies in the room shudder.
"Or what?" Her reiatsu flared, higher than the large shinigami's. He keeled over and passed out.
"Enough!" Hinamori cried, "You're agitating these poor creatures!" Her face was full of rage.
Tukiko immediately stomped her reiatsu down, "G-Gomenasai!" She had really stepped out of line.
"It's fine, but what do you suggest we do with the poor thing?" Hinamori had a kind look behind her eyes. "He won't be able to keep up with the other hell butterflies, he wouldn't be any use." She touched Tukiko affectionately on the shoulder.
"I'll take him!" Her ruby eyes sincere.
"Okay then, take him!" Hinamori's voice was coloured with surprise.
"Arigatou!" Tukiko cried, scooping up the small hell butterfly into her hands. "Hey there little guy, do you have a name?" She peered into the minute eyes of the baby butterfly.
*No Shinigami-sama!*
"You don't? Hmm...How about Kuro?" She smiled.
*I like it Shinigami-sama! Arigatou for saving my life Shinigami-sama!* Kuro's mental voice echoed in her mind, small and child-like.
"You don't have to call me Shinigami-sama, call me Tukiko!" Tukiko's heart warmed. Knowing she had made a lifelong friend.
*Arigatou, Tukiko-sama!* He felt a similar feeling to Tukiko. Friendship.
Hinamori was staring intently at Tukiko, "How did you raise your spiritual pressure so high?" Purely curious.
"High? Was that high?" Tukiko stood, confused at Hinamori's statement. She had only released a small portion of her reiatsu.
"Yes." Hinamori's eyes widened. *Who is this girl?*
"I've always had a large reiatsu, I always assumed it was of average level for shinigami, obviously not?" Kuro had attached himself to the silver pendant of her indigo braid.
"Well never mind about that, take a left out of the door you just came through and follow the corridor until you hit a flight of stairs." Hinamori scratched her chin, recalling her way to the female dorms. "Go up a single flight then turn right, that should be where you're looking for!" She chuckled, "It's been years since I was there."
"Thank you Fukutaichou, I will be off!" She bowed and turned to the shinigami she had made faint. "Gomenasai!" She turned and hurried out of the room, following Hinamori's directions.
"Hmm..." Hinamori got a strange feeling from that girl's reiatsu, what she did not know.
Hey! Dreamer! Wake up, the induction is about to begin! Kuro's little voice chimed in her mind.
Damn it! She strode up to the side of the dais, just as Ōtoribashi-Taichou finished his speech.
"Now, here is our new recruit, come on up!" Ōtoribashi-Taichou called, spreading his arms out dramatically.
Tukiko took a deep breath and strode up onto the platform, she knelt and drew her dual katana, with their lotus hilt's glinting in the light. She held them in either hand. She then delved her right hand inside her kimono, being careful of her left katana's blade. She unclasped her knife from the strap concealed by her right breast. She hooked her little right finger inside the ring of the knife, pulling it out of her kimono. She closed her eyes, "I hereby present the three parts of my Zanpakuto, Shishi Ryū Ren. These weapons are derivatives of one section of my soul." Tukiko had to alter the induction speech to fit into her three Zanpakuto. The usual is, "This Weapon is a section of my soul." She continued, "I will use these weapons to defend my squad, my Taichou and the souls of innocent humans." She paused, thinking desperately the last line of the vow.
Say your name doofus! Then state your fealty to Ōtoribashi-Taichou! Kuro prompted.
Shut up, I was almost there! She hissed mentally.
"I Muguruma Tukiko, vow to protect all that I stand for and work for the good of my squad until the last trickle of reiatsu leaves my shattered soul!"
There was silence, then suppressed whispers flitted from person to person, the word "Muguruma" flew across everyone's lips.
"Enough!" Ōtoribashi-Taichou's voice boomed around the courtyard, his reiatsu following in a suffocating blanket, all the shinigami bar Kira, the Taichou and herself were pulled to the floor under the immense pressure.
"I welcome you as one of our own, I hereby grant you an unranked position within our division, sheath your blades and join us in celebration!" Ōtoribashi's voice echoed as his suffocating reiatsu calmed.
Tukiko stood, sheathing her blades and locking her knife back into it's position. She bowed once and turned to face the rest of the squad.
"Thank you all for gathering here, I hope you will all accept me as I am willing to accept you, arigatou!" She finished, bowing.
"Let the celebrations begin!" Ōtoribashi-Taichou roared. The squad cheered in unison and they all filed out quickly, eager to celebrate their new arrival.
Hisagi Shuuhei had been watching from a nearby rooftop.
"Muguruma..." He breathed before disappearing in a flash of shunpo.
A.N - My second fanfic, had a shedload of ideas, give me your reviews and comment away! :D Love ya x ~^-^